Animals such as mammals and birds are often susceptible to parasite infestations/infections. These parasites may be ectoparasites, such as insects, and endoparasites such as nematodes and other worms. Domesticated animals, such as cats and dogs, are often infested with one or more of the following ectoparasites:                fleas (e.g. Ctenocephalides spp., such as Ctenocephalides felis and the like);        ticks (e.g. Rhipicephalus spp., Ixodes spp., Dermacentor spp., Amblyomma spp., and the like);        mites (e.g. Demodex spp., Sarcoptes spp., Otodectes spp., and the like);        lice (e.g. Trichodectes spp., Cheyletiella spp., Linognathus spp. and the like);        mosquitoes (Aedes spp., Culex spp., Anopheles spp. and the like); and        flies (Haematobia spp., Musca spp., Stomoxys spp., Dermatobia spp., Cochliomyia spp. and the like).        
Fleas are a particular problem because not only do they adversely affect the health of the animal or human, but they also cause a great deal of psychological stress. Moreover, fleas may also transmit pathogenic agents to animals and humans, such as tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum).
Similarly, ticks are also harmful to the physical and psychological health of the animal or human. However, the most serious problem associated with ticks is that they are vectors of pathogenic agents in both humans and animals. Major diseases which may be transmitted by ticks include borreliosis (Lyme disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi), babesiosis (or piroplasmosis caused by Babesia spp.) and rickettsioses (e.g. Rocky Mountain spotted fever). Ticks also release toxins which cause inflammation or paralysis in the host. Occasionally, these toxins are fatal to the host.
Likewise, farm animals are also susceptible to parasite infestations. For example, a parasite which is prevalent among cattle in some regions are ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus, especially those of the species microplus (cattle tick), decoloratus and annulatus. Ticks such as Rhipicephalus microplus (formerly Boophilus microplus) are difficult to control because they lay eggs in the pasture where farm animals graze. This species of ticks is considered a one-host tick and spends immature and adult stages on one animal before the female engorges and falls off the host to lay eggs in the environment. In addition to cattle, Rhipicephalus microplus may infest buffalo, horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, deer, pigs, and dogs. A heavy tick burden on animals can decrease production and damage hides as well as transmit diseases such as babesiosis (“cattle fever”) and anaplasmosis.
Invertebrate pests also destroy growing and harvested crops and attack wooden dwellings and commercial structures, causing large economic loss to the food supply and to property. While a large number of pesticidal agents are known, due to the ability of target pests to develop resistance to said agents, there is an ongoing need for new agents for combating animal pests. In particular, pests such as insects and acaridae are difficult to be effectively controlled. However, it is a continuing objective to provide further pesticidal compounds which, at least in some aspects, offer advantages over the known compounds.
Various patent publications have described isoxazoline compounds having pesticidal properties. Recently, isoxazole and isoxazoline-containing compounds have been demonstrated to be effective against parasites that harm animals. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,964,204 (to DuPont, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety) discloses isoxazoline compounds according to Formula (I) below, which are active against ectoparasites and/or endoparasites.

In addition, published patent application nos. US 2010/0254960 A1, WO 2007/070606 A2, WO 2007/123855 A2, WO 2010/003923 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,951,828 & U.S. Pat. No. 7,662,972, US 2010/0137372 A1, US 2010/0179194 A2, US 2011/0086886 A2, US 2011/0059988 A1, US 2010/0179195 A1 and WO 2007/075459 A2 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,951,828 and 7,662,972 describe various other parasiticidal isoxazoline compounds. Other published patent applications that describe various other parasiticidal isoxazoline compounds and formulations comprising the same include WO 2007/079162 A1, WO 2008/154528 A1, WO 2009/002809 A2, WO 2011/149749 A1, WO 2014/439475 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 8,466,115, WO 2012/120399, WO 2014/039484, WO 2014/189837, (Zoetis) and WO2012 120135A1 (Novartis). WO 2012/089623 describes topical localized isoxazoline formulations comprising glycofurol. WO 2013/039948 A1 provides for topical veterinary compositions comprising at least one isoxazoline active agent and WO 2013/119442 A1 provides for oral veterinary compositions such as a soft chew, which comprise at least one isoxazoline active agent.
More recently, WO 2016/155831 A1 described compounds of formula (I) below, which are described to have pesticidal properties.

Although the publication describes in general terms that the compounds may be useful for controlling invertebrate parasites that infest animals, only examples that demonstrate that the compounds are effective against pests that infest plants and crops are included. The publication does not include any examples that demonstrate that the compounds are effective against external parasites (e.g. fleas and ticks) or internal parasites (e.g. nematodes and filarial worms) that infest and infect animals.
Although some of these publications describe compounds containing a substituted isoxazoline ring having pesticidal and parasiticidal properties, none of the foregoing publications describe compounds of formula (I), that possess parasiticidal and pesticidal activity, particularly for controlling endoparasites or ectoparasites in or on animals.
The foregoing documents and all documents cited therein or during their prosecution (“application cited documents”) and all documents cited or referenced in the application cited documents, and all documents cited or referenced herein (“herein cited documents”), and all documents cited or referenced in herein cited documents, together with any manufacturer's instructions, descriptions, product specifications, and product sheets for any products mentioned herein or in any document incorporated by reference herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, and may be employed in the practice of the invention. Citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention.